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A UAE student visa is a residence permit for study at an accredited university, college or institute. Either the institution sponsors you, or a parent who lives in the UAE does. In Dubai, GDRFA lists AED 200 for the residence permit plus small fixed fees, AED 500 more if you apply from inside the country, and 48 hours once the file is complete. Health insurance is required.
The right route depends on who you are. An international student coming alone uses the university. A young resident whose family already lives here usually stays on a parent.
University sponsor or parent sponsor
| University sponsors you | A parent sponsors you | |
|---|---|---|
| Who can use it | Students of an accredited university, college, educational institution or research institute | Children of a UAE resident |
| Who files | The institution, as host and guarantor | The parent, on the family route |
| Age limit | Not set by age | Sons up to 25, or older with proof of study. Daughters until married |
| Validity | One year, renewed each year | Follows the parent's residence |
| Key paper | Enrolment with the institution | Certificate showing the study duration |
Source: u.ae student residence page and GDRFA student permit page, checked . Validity from Dubai university visa pages.
GDRFA also asks that the institution is licensed to operate and approved by the Ministry of Education or the emirate's education authority. Ask the university for this before you pay a deposit.
No separate school student visa
School pupils do not get their own student visa. They live in the UAE on a parent's family residence, and the school is not the sponsor. If you are looking at this for a child in school, the right page is children's visa in Dubai, or family visa in Dubai for the parent's sponsorship rules.
GDRFA fees for a student residence
| GDRFA line | Amount |
|---|---|
| Residence permit | AED 200 |
| Knowledge Dirham | AED 10 |
| Innovation Dirham | AED 10 |
| Fee if you are inside the UAE | AED 500 |
| Delivery | AED 20 |
| Each year beyond two | AED 100 |
Source: GDRFA student residence issue and renewal pages, checked . The same lines apply to renewal. The medical test, Emirates ID and insurance are paid on top.
Some universities sit in Dubai free zones. Middlesex University Dubai says its visa charges are set by the Dubai Development Authority, so a free zone campus can bill differently from the GDRFA list.
What universities charge
We found no private Dubai agency that publishes a student visa price. The figures below come from Dubai universities' own visa pages, and they include things like a refundable deposit, medical insurance, the Emirates ID and admin.
- New student visa packages: AED 5,555.22 to AED 10,074.10 (2 Dubai universities, checked ). The higher end is for students already inside the UAE on express processing.
- Annual renewal: AED 1,670 to AED 4,570.22 (2 Dubai universities).
These are university prices, not government fees and not ours. Your own university's page is the one that counts.
Documents
- Passport copy and a photo
- Health insurance
- Approved medical exam (18 and over)
- Emirates ID application receipt
- Proof of enrolment and the study duration
The full list for each sponsor, with the step order, is on student visa requirements.
Processing time
GDRFA lists 48 hours for the residence permit once the documents are in. Universities run their own queue on top, and many ask for papers weeks before term. The medical test adds a day or less at a Dubai centre.
Common refusal reasons
- The institution is not licensed or approved, so it cannot host students.
- A son turned 25 and the parent filed without proof of study.
- No health insurance on the file.
- A passport with too little validity for the full year.
- Enrolment ended or paused without the visa being cancelled.
After graduation
The student permit ends with the studies. ICP gives students who finished their course 180 days of grace, while GDRFA's Dubai service pages state 60 days. That gap matters if you plan to look for work. Top performers should check the golden visa for students, which ICP issues for 10 years.
How it works with us
If your university files the visa, it does the work and you pay its package. Use us when a parent sponsors you, when the university asks you to sort the status change or medical yourself, or when something has gone wrong. Send the student's passport copy and the sponsor's residence on WhatsApp or through the form on this page. A visa adviser confirms the route and the papers, and you get one total price before you pay. The team files with GDRFA or ICP and follows the file to issue. DubaiVisaDesk.com is a private visa service, and the authorities decide every application.
Government fees are kept by the authorities after a refusal. Before you pay, your adviser tells you in writing what part of our total, if any, comes back.
Official sources
- u.ae residence visa for studying in the UAE: sponsors, age rules, study certificate.
- GDRFA student residence permit: institution conditions, documents, fees, 48 hours.
- GDRFA student permit renewal: renewal fees.
- ICP golden residence: routes for outstanding students.
Checked . Check your university's visa page and GDRFA before you pay.
